Yoke of oxen work Lower Sioux Agency fields

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

MORTON -- For Berry and Buck, an average day for each consists of knocking back 40 pounds of baled hay and seven pounds of mineral-fortified whole grain and ground ear corn, all washed down with up to 10 gallons of water, followed by hours of pulling a plow or a harrow.

A yoke (or team) of oxen from the Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center in Waseca, Berry and Buck made a quest appearance at the Lower Sioux Agency Historical Site near Morton Sunday afternoon.

It was a historical moment for the agency because oxen had not worked its fields for more than 140 years. In its oxen heyday, the agency was home to 80 yoke of oxen plus 40 individuals, making a total of 200 animals.

So, Berry and Buck -- following handler Scott Roemhildt's commands -- dutifully walked in circles, pulling a spiked harrow. They were helping prepare the small agency field for corn planting.

They were supposed to have been plowing, but Buck -- the right ox -- was nursing a pulled knee. "The agency was kind enough to prepare the soil for harrowing so the soil would be evener and the load lighter for Buck," Roemhildt said.

While oxen aren't real demonstrative animals, Buck seemed to appreciate what had been done for him. On the other hand, it's pretty difficult to determine what the animal is thinking.

"They're really neat animals to work with," Roemhildt who doubles as programs manager at the institute said. "They're very docile which makes them superior to horses as draft animals, and they do have their very own individual personalities."

Docile is as docile does, however. Roemhildt said they're not above testing a handler before submitting, and while they're trained to faithfully carry out their duties without interruption, they're not above trying to sneak in some munchies when they're not supposed to.

As the pair was circling the agency field, Berry decided to go for the lush, new green grass at its edge. Roemhildt got the oxen back on track, but Buck, who was wearing a basket tied over his snout because of earlier attempts to eat grass, feigned a need for water. With the basket lifted from his head, he made one half-hearted attempt at a drink from the pail; then, he started pushing his way toward the green grass. He was headed off before he could get to the munchies.

"They can be pretty clever," Roemhildt admitted.

These animals come by the title of oxen the hard way. An ox is a castrated, domesticated bull which is at least 3 years old. Berry and Buck are both 12 years old and are just middle-aged as far as oxen go. They will work until 17 or 18 and live generally into their 20s. Berry weighs in at almost 1,900 pounds while Buck tips the scales at just under 2,100 pounds.

They respond fairly well to commands: "Get up," is start; "haw" is left; "gee" is right, and "whoa" is stop. "There is a command for 'back,' but they don't back up really well, so it's hardly ever used," Roemhildt explained.

They lead very structured lives. Early in life their horns are encouraged to grow in a position so that the animal will be either left or right in the team. Once this pattern is established the animals do not change.

"Berry is the nigh (or left side) ox, and Buck is the right ox," Roemhildt explained. This pairing is so ingrained in the animals that when they're eating or resting, Berry will be left of Buck.

"I made the mistake one day when I was unloading them from a trailer of tying them to the trailer with Buck to the left of Berry," Roemhildt recalled. "When I heard this terrible commotion, I went back to the trailer and found that Berry was now on the left. They had solved the problem on their own."

An advantage of oxen over horses for drafting is that they're very easy to care for, Roemhildt said. "They don't require the foot care that horses do, they survive well on a coarser diet and their bodies process food more easily than a horse."

Not only that, they can go several days without water; that is, if they want to.